1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photosensor for detecting at least either of the azimuth, altitude and intensity of incident light, and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of Related Art
Solar radiation sensors for detecting the direction of incident light in a compartment of an automobile are disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication Laid-Open No. sho 62-71713. Such a solar radiation sensor includes a light screening member (an instrument panel 20) having a slit through which solar radiation passes, and photoelectric converting elements (each having a variable resistor element 23, a photoconductive element 24 and a common terminal plate 25) provided below the light screening member at fixed intervals. The solar radiation sensor is adapted to output a signal representing the position of the light illuminated onto the photoelectric converting elements through the slit. A microcomputer detects the direction of an incident light on the basis of the produced signal.
In the above-described conventional solar radiation sensor, the light screening member is constituted by the instrument panel. However, the light screening member is generally formed of a thin plate having a transmission hole, such as a pin hole or a slit. In that case, when the light screening member (hereinafter referred to as a light screening film) constituted by the thin plate and the photoelectric converting elements are mounted on a casing of the solar radiation sensor, the light screening film and the photoelectric converting elements must be mounted separately, deteriorating the mounting property.
This problem occurs not only with solar radiation sensors but also with throttle position sensors which include the light screening film having a transmission hole, such as a pin hole or a slit, and the photoelectric converting elements, as in the above-described solar radiation sensor. In other words, the problem involving deterioration in the mounting property with which the light screening film and the photoelectric converting elements are mounted is common to all the photosensors which include the light screening film having a transmission hole, such as a pin hole or a slit, and the photoelectric converting elements.
In order to overcome the above-described problem, the present invention provides a photosensor which exhibits excellent mounting property with which a light screening film having a transmission hole, such as a pin hole or a slit, and photoelectric converting elements are mounted on a casing of the sensor, as well as a method of manufacturing the photosensor.